Predator Bonds
by Neu1228
Summary: Taking place after the Events of Rage Burst. What awaits on the new horizon?
1. chapter 1

Chapter 1

Waking to the landscape passing by was still an odd sight for Neirad. It was still a rather calming sight to him, something he admittedly was not used to, even after three months of it. Even more so was the woman he woke up to everyday with. His purple eyes went to the large red bracelet sewn into her right wrist. The symbol of the fate they chose. He exhaled, the fate of a God Eater.

God Eaters were all that stood between humanity and the 'Gods' that threatened to exterminate them. Aragami as they were known to the world, a name given to them by Fenrir; the organization responsible for the God Eater's very existence. Aragami, are monsters with the ability to extremely adapt to any situation in mere days, replicate this adaptability at a rapid pace, due to the existence of 'Oracle' cells. No one knows how these Oracle cells came to be, only that they adapt. God Eaters are born by infusing these Oracle Cells into the human body and turning them essentially into the very monsters they are fighting, or rather the handles for the blades that devour Gods. God Arcs as they call them.

The God Arcs are the weapons of the God Eaters, the weapons as well as their owners are infused with a special type of isolated Aragami cells that allows them to fight off the Aragami on somewhat equal footing. There originally were only two types of God Arcs, those that are a blade and shield and those that are just a gun (old types). Then came a third type, a combination of the two (New type). The cells used to keep the Arcs under control are in surgically implanted bracelets given to the God Eaters when outfitted with the Bias Cells that give them their ability to wield their God Arcs. The bracelets are also used to monitor vitals when out in the field and communicate with teammates.

"Neirad?" His partner's half asleep voice questioned the darkness. She sat up now, single red eye shining amongst the darkness. "Did you have a bad dream again?"

The purpled eyed God Eater chuckled as he took a seat beside her. "No, I was just watching the landscape go by. It's still so fascinating to be out here." His hand found its home on her cheek, thumb brushing the side of her mouth. Again he inspected her, the white hair was now way longer than she had ever wanted it to be, reaching nearly halfway down her back and long enough in the front to fully cover her naked breast. "Gina." Her name but a whisper on his tongue.

The female God Eater pressed her hand against his, as he inspected her she did the same to him. Sniper's eye trained to find any weakness written upon his chocolate skin. Any single hint of fear in his purple eyes, perhaps even a misplaced hair among those long locks of obsidian. I've known him far too long. The thought made her smile. "Get back to bed." She kissed his cheek before laying down, "I need to finish using you for warmth."

Neirad smiled and walked around to his side of the bed, "So demanding." He commented as he slipped in beside her and pulled her into his arms.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Waking this time Gina found her partner on the floor. It seems that in their sleep, Gina kicked him off the bed. Instead of waking him she tossed the blanket onto him before getting her shower and dressing for the day. Gina stared at herself in the mirror, her single eye glaring a hole of anger into the space where her left eye would be had she not lost it. A scowl was drawn upon her face before she resisted the urge to punch the mirror, with a VERY heavy sigh the sniper strapped her eyepatch on. I'm upset you aren't up. Gina walked away from her room, needing to get away from her self loathing. She dressed in a pair of sleek pants, and a long sleeved silk top. She took one of his jackets with her in hopes it would help keep her calm.

Much like her partner the female God Eater was not used to her current surroundings. A giant rv as it would have it. The base of operations for Cradle, an independent branch of Fenrir dedicated to making life away from Fenrir's personal branches easier. Not one for coffee, it kept Gina from focusing properly, she took to tea typically citrus or herbal. I can't believe I'm still not used to my own face. She took a sip of her tea again, and did what she normally did to calm herself down. Put in her headphones and play the bubbly music that keeps her focused. The subtle tones of warmth it exuded caused her to space out. She had drifted off so much in fact that she wasn't aware of the small child that approached her. A tug on her pants leg brought the sniper back. She hummed as she looked down at the small child, he was mouthing something Gina couldn't hear over the music. Placing a finger in the air the sniper shushed him, removing her headphones she smiled. "What was that Ren?"

Ren smiled, his green eyes beaming at the sniper. His mother dressed him today judging by the informal suit wear he had on. "I was saying, Good morning auntie Gina!" He climbed into the seat next to hers. His face scrunched into a pout as he surveyed the table.

"What's with that look?"

"No plate." He answered as if trying to find what else he wanted to say.

Gina smiled, "What about it?"

"It means you didn't eat breakfast again." There was a tone of hurt in his voice. The child loved to have everyone eat together as a family, or at the very least eat and take care of themselves. Qualities he got from his mother no doubt.

"I'm waiting for Neirad to wake up so we can eat together." Gina explained to the child knowing that if she didn't he would not stop pouting.

Ren's eyes lit up, "Did Uncle Nene sleep in again?"

Before Gina could answer the child's name was called in a worried voice.

"Ren did you not tell your mom where you were going?" Gina's question was answered with a sheepish grin. A sigh, "Sakuya! He's over here. In the cafe." She shook her finger at the child. "Shame on you for running away from your mom."

Sakuya Amamiya, Ren's mother and Veteran God Eater. Admittedly Gina was slightly jealous of her hair, the natural black sheen and straightness it held just upset the white haired sniper. Her mocha eyes immediately locked on to her child. "Stop running off every morning!" She scolded the child as she produced a brush. Sakuya now being a mother had taken to wearing full dresses as opposed to the two piece she used to wear, she kept the heels though.

Ah the reason the child ran to begin with. The dreaded fixing of the hair. Gina thought to herself with a smile. "Sakuya, have you seen Neirad? I was waiting for him for breakfast."

Sakuya had started brushing through Ren's shaggy hair, a quality he got from his father. "He ran into Lindow, I imagine that they're both still talking." The mother answered.

"Makes sense, I'll wait a little longer then." Gina smiled.

In the opposite direction Neirad and Lindow were actually on an important call with Lindow's sister Tsubaki, the operator and director of Cradle. Lindow and Tsubaki looked eerily similar. Both had long black hair with Lindow's being shaggier and Tsubaki's being straighter than his, and with both being siblings they had the same light green eyes.

"In short be on the lookout from any hails from the Far East. Sakaki may be asking for assistance soon." Tsubaki finished as she ended the video call.

Lindow and Neirad looked at one another. Neirad sighed, unbuttoning the first two buttons on his shirt, "If Stark and Kota can't hold down the fort properly I'm gonna be seriously upset." All the same a smile appeared.

Lindow had begun laughing. "Well we should probably let the others know. I'll go tell Alisa and Soma, since they're probably cooped up in the lab together. You should let Gina know before I make you any later for breakfast." Lindow readjusted the gauntlet on his right arm. Lindow wore a sleeveless top as he didn't expect a call from his sister. Surprisingly he and Neirad both wore the same style of cargo pants and boots.

"Remind me again why you wear that thing when you're home?"

Lindow looked at the golden gauntlet again, "Force of habit. I take it off in the bedroom." the veteran joked.

Neirad shut his eyes and sighed, "I hate you." He nodded a few times and left Lindow snickering at his own joke. "If I see Sakuya I'm gonna tell her you said that."

"Uncle Nene!" Ren shouted as he barreled into the young God Eater.

Thank the moon for his expert reflexes, otherwise he and Ren would have gone straight through a table. "Slow down there kiddo." He smiled, "It's too early to be breaking tables." Neirad lifted the child onto his shoulder. "Good morning Sakuya, good morning cyclops." He greeted Sakuya and Gina respectively.

"Really?" Gina scowled, "Cyclops?"

"Hey you left me on the floor with a blanket. I had to clean the room and your side of the bed." Neirad sat Ren down as he placed a kiss on Gina's cheek. "Citrus tea?" His eyebrow cocked.

"I was waiting for you." Gina answered, "And it's not my fault you fell off the bed, you probably thrashed around like a Gboro before you fell too." The clap back made even Sakuya snicker.

Remembering his conversation with Tsubaki, "Before I forget. Tsubaki said to keep an eye out for any signals from the Far East, Sakaki might hail for us." He gave Sakuya a hug before taking a seat.

"Really? I'll make sure to keep a closer look at the comms then." Sakuya stated. Normally she'd be in the field alongside everyone else, but having a kid on board she stays behind to play the operator and keep an eye on her child.

Neirad nodded, "Did you want to have breakfast with us?" His question came out of nowhere, "It's been a while since we all have eaten in the same room. I was thinking we could actually have a full breakfast."

Gina stood up, "In that case I can make some muffins, Kanon sent me a few recipes and I want to try them out."

Sakuya let out a slight squeal, "In that case I'll help out too. Ren and I can do the eggs." To which Ren was happy to be a part of.

Neirad shrugged, "I'll make some bacon in that case." He took out his phone and sent a message. "Lindow and Soma need to help set the table and I told Alisa she can make whatever drinks we're having." He explained to them.

Gina had just sat down near the oven after putting the finished muffin batter in. She was watching the clock like a hawk when the doors opened with the sounds of argument. Lindow entered with Soma and Alisa on his coat heels. The latter arguing with one another about the best way to proceed. "Hey, no work during breakfast." Gina raised her voice to be heard over them.

Soma apologized, his crystal eyes shooting Alisa a look of annoyance from beneath his silver bangs. He wore a zipped up lab coat over a t shirt and a pair of blue jeans.

"I'll start making the juice now." Alisa stated as she, pulled her gray hair back into a bun to keep it from getting into liquid. Her blue eyes located the pitcher they normally used when making a drink for the whole of Cradle. She did her best to cover her cleavage, it hung out of her shirt since it was so hard to close. They didn't make shirts according to bust size much to her annoyance. Thankfully Gina handed over her jacket, which was actually Neirad's but it covered her chest and that's what mattered. It also covered the plaid skirt she wore but that was long enough as it was.

The table was long enough for everyone to sit comfortably with enough space for at least thirteen more bodies. The plates were littered with bacon, eggs, a muffin, piece of toast and a slice of ham.

"Who made what?" Lindow asked when he finished his plate.

"Me and mom made the eggs!" Ren happily announced.

"Mom and I." Lindow corrected, "They were very good. I actually am curious to who made the muffins."

Gina raised her hand slowly. "That was me. I was trying one of the recipes I learned from Kanon. Was it bad?" She worried, gripping Neirad's hand beneath the table.

"Oh no, quite the opposite. It was great in fact." Lindow smiled. "All of the food was if I'm being perfectly honest."

Soma nodded, "I agree, now that I've eaten I can throw myself back into work."

"He's stress working." Lindow laughed.

"I am not stressed." Soma growled at him.

Neirad entered the conversation, "Are you sure? Because it sounds like you are."

The girls chuckled. "Ignore them Soma." Sakuya advised. "Either way your research is invaluable to us."

Alisa seconded that, "It's done wonders for us when Setting up the Satellite bases. I can't thank you enough."

Lindow had to excuse himself when his phone began ringing. And judging from the look on his face it wasn't someone he wanted to talk to.


	3. Chapter 3

Everyone felt the carrier shake. Something made Lindow upset. "Neirad get your things." He ordered quickly and angrily.

Without so much as a question, Neirad stood up kissed Gina on the cheek and followed after Lindow. Het met Lindow in the Arc storage and simply asked, "What happened?"

The veteran sighed, "It's a Garm." He stated.

"A garm isn't that big of deal." Neirad grabbed his God Arc, long blade, tower shield and assault gun variant and walked toward the door.

"It's gained an exceptional bias factor. We need to put it down." There was a grave tone to Lindow's words. The tone of something more beneath the surface.

"Understood." Neirad started up the car they used for quick transport ops and waited for Lindow.

The Veteran no longer had an arc, a long story that is best suited for a better time. Instead he had built a blade made of a gold titanium alloy. It got the job done all the same once infused with Oracle cells. Lindow sat in the passenger's seat. "I'm sure the two of us can handle this." He smiled.

Neirad ejected them from the base, "I'm sure we can." He drove toward the coordinates. "So Lindow. Serious question."

"I'm listening." The veteran raised an eyebrow.

"Did Gina and I move too fast?" The question came as a shock. "I feel like we're kind of stuck right now. And it's starting to worry me. If I'm a bad match for her I'd gladly give her up so she can be happy. Sure it'd hurt like hell but I'd rather have her happy than sad and stuck with me."

Lindow nodded, "I can understand where you're coming from. Sakuya and I often felt the same before getting married. Well actually I felt this way. It was hard living life on the battlefield and knowing that the only way we could be happy is if we retired. Neither of us wanted that. But I can tell you this, I don't think you're stuck. The two of you look at each other with such passion in your eyes that it probably makes Soma jealous." He chuckled.

"Is that why Soma has been so stuck in his work?" Neirad slammed on the breaks when he came to a field of dead Aragami. "Hold that question. This is crazier than normal." He stepped out of the car.

Lindow did the same as he undid the gauntlet on his right hand. "Might need the big guns for this one." Lindow's right arm from fingertips to elbow resembled a black sinew with his hand closer to a claw.

"How does Sakuya even let you touch her with that thing?" Neirad shuddered in an over exaggerated manner.

"Hey!" Lindow retorted with mock pain. "I'm gonna tell Gina you're being mean to me." They laughed. "Alright, let's find this thing."

Neirad followed Lindow's lead, both taking pictures of the bodies around them. They kept on opposite sides of the Aragami bodies alert at all times. The duo moved in tandem a feeling of dread settling in. Suddenly the heat rose and a flaming beast rushed past the God Eaters. It was the size of a small house, shape of a dog with white stone like skin.

"Marduk!" Lindow took a step back as Neirad rushed in. It was a good thing they didn't need words to communicate or Lindow would have started scolding his partner right then and there for being reckless.

However this was not the case, Neirad rushing in was to draw out any obvious weaknesses, give Lindow a plan. Buy time at the least.

Neirad clipped the Marduk's claws. "This one is tough!" His shield deployed in time to save him from being ripped apart.

Lindow shoulder slammed the beast before it could crush his partner underfoot. "Focus on knocking it off balance for now!" Lindow ordered.

"Understood!" Neirad focused on the right front leg, the Marduk's leading claw when swiping at them.

Lindow jumped atop The beast and drove his weapon into it's back. "Would you and Gina mind watching Ren?" He asked.

"I wouldn't. I doubt Gina would mind. She loves him, even though she tries not to show it too often." Neirad switched to gun form and unloaded bullets into the beast face. "Why though?"

Lindow's Aragami hand enlarged and he used it to push the beast into the ground. He watched his partner forcibly extract the core, essentially the Aragami's heart, from the beast. "We're supposed to be heading home right? I want to take Sakuya out to eat at some point, a nice dinner would do her some good."

"Ah if that's the case then fine." Neirad grinned. "It'll cost you though."

Lindow sighed as he stepped into the car. "Of course it is."

"Well what did you expect? We don't do things for free around here." They shared a laugh as the car started. "That Aragami was a little too weak. I think the actual thing that killed that group is probably long gone. At least I'm hoping it is." Neirad worried.

"I'll send the pictures I took to Soma." Lindow took to spacing out. Perhaps he was deep in thought or maybe he was just craving a beer. Who knew?


End file.
